Even the nicest of guys can decide to cut loose at some point, especially if he's at college and a frat brother invites him to a party. Unfortunately, that can end quite badly. Luckily for Dante ap Owen, it doesn't -- until he keeps needing to piss every few minutes and he sees blood in his urine. Another stroke of luck for him is the substitute professor, also a medical doctor he’s been crushing on, who happens to be there when he passes out in class and pushes him to come to his clinic.<br><br>But Dante and his beloved, critically ill mother are under the control of his bitter uncle, who also provides health insurance. If his uncle finds out Dante is being treated for anything, let alone what Dante fears is an STD, he's ... Dante doesn't want to think about that. So he flees the clinic before he has to make a follow-up appointment.<br><br>The good doctor shows up at his uncle's farm when phone calls do nothing. And when Dante's uncle invites the doctor to dinner and serves a meal worthy of Medea, the doctor urges Dante and his mother to leave. But will they? And will Dante realize the doctor wants him as much as he wants the doctor?

So Let Us Rejoice

“I apologize for keeping you waiting.”


Usually Uncle John would castigate me even though I’d apologized, but this time he just smiled, and I couldn’t help shivering in spite of the heat of the unseasonably warm autumn we’d been having.


I sat down and bowed my head while Uncle John said grace. I was surprised it wasn’t as long-winded and vitriolic as usual, and I sent Mum a sideways glance. She shrugged, obviously as puzzled as I.


A tureen of stew sat in the middle of the table. Uncle John always preferred roast chicken on Sundays. Why suddenly stew? And why the silver tureen, only used on my uncle’s birthday?


He nodded toward me. “Serve yourself, Dante.”


I stared into the tureen, at the meat, pearl onions, carrots, and potatoes. There didn’t seem to be a great deal of meat, so I made sure to only take a few pieces when I ladled a portion onto my plate.


“No, no, take more,” Uncle John insisted.


“Elvira has plenty in the kitchen.”


Chapter 25